Avebury Manor
The clock ticks by...midsummer approaches (though the rain and the temperatures would not have you believe it) and it’s good to be out and about in the English countryside once again.
Yesterday we made a visit to Avebury – this time to visit the gardens of Avebury Manor but also to take a look around ‘The Manor Reborn’ – to see the interiors of the manor house which was created as part of a BBC/National Trust collaboration last year, followed through the episodes of a TV series of the same name.
The intention was to create several room sets from different periods in the manor’s history, where visitors are allowed to photograph, touch and sit upon/in (I hesitated to enter one bedroom where someone was sitting up in bed, having her photograph taken!) all the items within each room – in contrast to past visits to National Trust properties, which have been notorious for their ‘’Do Not Touch (Or Do Anything Else, Including Breathe!) approach (In fairness, this has been changing somewhat over the last few years, but still one can be fearful that wrath may descend...).
The experiment has, I think, been successful. Having watched the TV series, it was interesting to get up close to the rooms and artefacts in question and feel the period atmosphere in each room. (The magic of the atmosphere that must have existed in the little-visited house which it was a tenanted, coherent whole is, inevitably, I suppose, non-existent).
Once again, I invite you to take a walk with me. Here are just some of the images I captured yesterday for you to enjoy – but if you visit yourself, perhaps it is best not to choose the first sunny Saturday after a long period of cold and rain that we chose – the house (especially the Victorian kitchen) – and beautiful gardens – will be better for being visited in an un-crowded state.
The pathway - seen from the front door of the manor house. The lavender avenue skirting the path is just about to flower - which necessitates another visit when it is in its full glory!
The rather odd first room encountered is a 1930's themed room, in acknowledgement of Alexander Keillor who owned the manor house in the 1930's - hence the Art Deco screen - well executed, but not exactly Tudor manor house in ambience.
Unsurprisingly, one of my favorite rooms - the Victorian kitchen with its impressive dresser, covered in blue and white china. An appeal was put out locally while the series was being mode for a 'pots and pans' donation day, to fill the house with appropriate items. Most of the blue and white is very mundane stuff - but that is exactly what would have been present for the use of the staff and later for day-to-day dining 'below stairs'. 'Good' china would have been kept elsewhere. (Doesn't blue and white *always* look 'good' though?)
This is the hand painted wall paper in the 18th century dining room set. It was fascinating to see this being made in China as part of one TV programme - human figures seem to be reproduced well, but foliage is - from this example at Avebury - much cruder than geniune 18th century painted paper.
The gilded panels of the Tudor parlour
Alec making quite a good job of being Henry the Eighth (stripy checked shirt notwithstanding):-)
The Tudor bedroom and bed - see the truckle bed beneath - with rope stringing? Tightening of these ropes ensured a more comfortable night's sleep - hence the saying 'Sleep tight!'
The brightly-coloured frieze in the bedroom...
...and one of the ceiling motifs, the painting of which caused some controversy between BBC academics and the National Trust's own experts
Here's the very grand Queen Anne bed - thoroughly dishevelled from numerous people hopping in and out of it to have their photographs taken - the warden in this room seemed to be on permanent bed-making duty, poor lady!
After the relative darkness of the house, yesterday's stroll around the gardens was an opportunity to enjoy bright sunshine and blue skies that have been sadly lacking here in the UK for the last few weeks...
This Italianate well-head in the old Rose garden has always been one of my favourite features - this time, enhanced by a cast iron spaniel sculpture, installed as part of the 'Art in the Garden' exhibition which had been running through May and the early part of June
On to the new Vegetable garden - the renovation of this from a run-down grassed over area was one of of the most interesting parts of the TV series. it was planned and carried out by David Howard - Prince Charles's head gardener at Highgrove for ten years - and a volunteer force of local villagers, who must be very proud of the result. it will take a while to 'bed down' but looks as if it will be a beautiful place to visit and work in in the next few years...especially if the work is to be carried out in this wonderful greenhouse...
...or over at the most important place in any garden...the compost heap!
We left with a last stroll along the Box Walk, overflowing already with blue flowering Nepeta (catmint)
and bid farewell for this time to Avebury, returning through the ancient landscape of Wiltshire, back to our Hampshire home. One more place of beauty and interest I am fortunate to have within an hour's drive of Autumn Cottage - I hope you enjoyed visiting along with me!
On the road from Avebury, Silbury Hill in the middle distance.
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